John henry morrison



(No Model.) SURGICAL PAD.

I No. 542,202. Patented July 2, 1895.

C 3 WITNESSES: djglNvi-INTOR W 2 7M d C Y v ATTORN EY S,

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HENRY MORRISON, OF SALIDA, COLORADO; GEORGIA A. MORRISON EXECUTRIX OF SAID JOHN HENRY MORRISON, DECEASED.

SURGICAL PAD.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,202, dated July 2, 1895.

Application filed May 7, 1894.

exact description.

My invention consists of a surgical pad; and it has for its obj ect the production of a simple and practical device, which is easily carried, thoroughly cleaned, and quickly arranged in operative condition, is particularly applicabio for use upon an operating table or chair in surgical and obstetrical work, prevents escape of liquids, &c., from the rear and side edges'of the pad and conductsthe same to a suitable vessel or receptacle; and to this end it consists, essentially, in a substantially rectangular pad provided with an inflatable cushion of substantially U shape surrounding three sides or edges thereof and having its intermediate portion arranged at the rear edge of the pad and its extremities arranged at the side edges thereof.

It also consists in a pad provided with a drain-conduit detachably secured thereto and having an outlet-opening in its free end and an inlet-opening in its opposite end for receiving the liquids, &c., discharged from the adjacent portion of the pad, and in the detail construction and arrangement of its component parts.

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an isometric view of my improved pad shown in operative position. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively longitudinal, verti cal, and transverse horizontal sectional views taken on lines 2 2 and 3 3, Fig. 1.

In my previous patent, No. 489,132, dated January 3, 1893, I have set forth a surgical apron applicable foruse upon beds in surgical and obstetrical work and formed with an inflatable cushion at its rear end and thickened or raised front and side edges. This Serial No. 510,332. (No model.)

apron is necessarily of sufficient width to render its use impractical upon operating tables and chairs, usually of much less width, and even though constructed of suitable size the thickened or raised side and front edges are more or less ineffective in preventing the es cape of liquids,-&o., when the apron is placed upon a substantially flat and rigid surfaceinstead of one depressed and yielding, as that portion of the bed supporting a patient. It is also more or less impractical and expensive to form these front and side edges of considerable thickness, and the apron is unprovided with means for conducting from its upper face the liquids, 850., discharged thereupon. Such an operation is essential in a surgical device of this character intended for use upon operating tables or chairs, for which my present invention is particularly designed.

' Heretofore it has been common to surround a flat sheet with raised edges formed of inflated cushions, and the latter have been made tapering from front to rear, so as to give such liquids received therein to flow to the rear and'out through a suitable drain-pipe, which was of comparatively stiff and unyielding rubber, so that it could not be compressed by the weight of the patient; but in the present instance I make the cushion of substantially U shape extending along the rear edge and the two opposite sides of the pad, and slightly larger or thicker at the rear, so as to give the pan an inclination toward the front, and the absence of any raised edges or cushion at the front leaves an open space here out which the liquids can freely pass into a conduit detachably connected therewith, all as will be clear from the following specific description.

In the drawings the letter A represents a flat sheet of flexible material approximately rectangular in plan and forming the bottom of the pad, which latter is provided with an inflatable cushion B and a. drain-conduit O, and is preferably composed of rubber or other impervious material. The cushion B, which is formed of similar material, is of U shape and so disposed that its intermediate portion 1) is arranged at the rear edge a of the pad an inclination to the pad as would cause all A and its extremities b I), along the opposite sides a a extending from the opposite ends of the edge a.

An air-valve suitably secured to the cushion B permits the entrance and escape of air, and said cushion B, when inflated, forms a raised surface at the rear and opposite sides of the pad A, and obviously serves to prevent the escape therefrom of liquids, 850., discharged upon the pad, and also acts as a cushion for yieldiugly supporting the adjacent portion of the body of the person operated upon. It is evident, however, that a raised rib may be used instead of the inflatable cushion B, but such is not the preferable construction, as the pad would not be as easily carried or cleaned, and its cost of manufacture would be considerably increased.

As clearly seen at Figs. 1 and 4, the ends 12 b of the opposite extremities b b of the cushion B are contracted or formed of gradually decreasing cross-sectional area and are inclined toward each other, and the front edge of the pad A is provided with a flap or projecting portion of, extending beyond said ends 12 19 and formed at its base with peri'orations a (1 The drain-conduit C, which is preferably reinovably secured to the re maining portion of the pad, is of suitable construction and is provided with a flaring upper end 0, formed with an inlet opening 0, of sufficient width to receive the flap or projecting portion a The free or opposite end of the conduit 0 is formed with an outlet opening 0 and is aligned with a suitable vessel or receptacle preferably resting on the floor, and into which the liquids and materials conducted through the drain-conduit C are discharged.

In the practical operation of my pad the drain conduit 0 is arranged normally at right angles with the remaining portion of the pad, and its rear wall 0 is provided with perforations c aligned with the perforation a of the flap or projecting portion a of the pad A. A fastening-piece D is arranged at the outside of the wall 0 and is provided with projections 01 d, passed through the perforations c a and having heads or shoul ders d at their free ends for engaging the front face of the flap or projecting portion (i hen not in use, or when it is desired to clean the pad, the conduit 0 is detached from the flap orprojecting portion a The fastening-piece D is detached from the walla of the conduit, and the parts are then thoroughly cleaned. This is a particularly simple form of fastening means for securing the outlet conduit in operative position and permitting of its ready disengagement; but it is evident that other suitable fastening means may be used, if desired, and that the fastening projections may be secured to the drain-conduit. It is sometimes desirable to disteud the inletopening 0 of the conduit 0 to its utmost limit, and said conduit is therefore provided with separated loops C, projecting from the inner face of its front wall, and the opposite ends of an outwardly-curved stiffening-bar 0 formed of suitable material, is passed through said loops.

The peculiar construction of the cushion B greatly facilitates cleaning of my improved pad and reduces its cost of manufacture.

The cushion B is formed of material intogral with the pad A, and its opposite sides, as clearly seen at Fig. 2, are of substantially the same width, and when inflated the opposite faces of the cushion project equally above and below the plane of the pad. Consequently when the cushion is deflated it increases in width without any liability of the production of gathers or wrinkles therein, and its thorough cleaning is thereby greatly facilitated. Moreover, there is no chance for matter to accumulate between the cushion and the pad A, as there is no space between said parts in which material can accumulate.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings and the foregoing description, and it will be particularly'noted that it is applicable for use upon operating tables or chairs in surgical and obstetrical work, prevents the escape of liquids, &:c., from the rear.

vessel or other receptacle, is easily and thoroughly cleaned by deflating the inflatable cushion, detaching the drain-conduit and the fastening-piece and subjecting the parts to the action of asuitable cleaning fluid, is easily and conveniently carried, if desired, and quickly restored to operative position with a minimum amount of labor and attention by inflating said cushion and attaching the drain'conduit in its designed position. The pad may, however, be used without the drainconduit when desired, and, as it is evident that considerable change may be made in the exact detail, construction, and arrangement of the parts, I do not herein specifically limit myself to such exact detail, construction, and arrangement.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a surgical pad, the combination with the pad proper surrounded on three sides by said flap, the latter and the adjacent wall of the conduit having aligned openings, and a:

the pad standing opposite the diametric center of the cushion when inflated and said cushion being then thicker at the edge remote from the flap, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attestin g witnesses, at Salida, in the county of Chaffee, in the State of Colorado, this 27th dayof April, 1894.

JOHN HENRY MORRISON.

Witnesses:

H. D. NEWTON, F. M. RUssELL. 

